Community Affairs Committee
Budget Estimates for 2008-09 (Supplementary hearings)

Senator SIEWERT-I have a number of areas I want to talk about, but I want to talk about genetic engineering, GMO and the report Greenpeace has just released, and labelling. The issues that Greenpeace raises in its report are around safety and safety assessment but also labelling. I understand Senator Colbeck wants to talk specifically about labelling as well-is that correct?

Senator COLBECK-Yes.

Environment, Communications & the Arts
Budget Estimates for 2008-09 (Supplementary hearings)

Senator SIEWERT-I would like to pick up where we left off at last estimates.

Senator Wong-Can you remember?

Senator SIEWERT-I have a little bit of a memory enhancer here. You may remember that we were
talking about the contract with the Japanese in relation to the Aurora Australis. At the time we were discussing a memorandum of understanding that the Australian government was going to be negotiating with the Japanese. I asked at the time whether it was a public document. You said that you did not know. I said that you can rest assured I would be asking at the next estimates. So, this is the next estimates and I am wondering how the MOU is progressing. I would like an update on whether it has been concluded and whether we can have a copy.

Finance & Administration Committee
Budget Estimates for 2008-09 (Supplementary hearings)

Senator SIEWERT-I would like to pick up where you just left off in terms of the intervention. I have
been told that you had over 550 complaints.

Prof. McMillan-That is correct.

Senator SIEWERT-Were they mainly at the beginning of the intervention or have they been spread
through the period of the intervention?

Prof. McMillan-They have been spread through the period. Two things the office did were, firstly, open a new office in Alice Springs so that we could be closer to communities and, secondly, have a policy of visiting communities that have been rolled out as the rollout of the intervention has occurred. At last count, we had visited 34 communities, so there is a steady number of complaints that are received as we visit those communities.

Legal & Constitutional Affairs Committee
Budget Estimates for 2008-09 (Supplementary hearings)

Senator SIEWERT-I have some broader budget issues and then some specific issues for Mr Calma. At our last estimates, as I recall our discussions, it was a bit early for any real comments to be made about what the impacts of the efficiency dividend were going to be on the operations of the commission. Since that period of time, has there been any refinement or any better understanding of what impact the efficiency dividends is having in each specific area that the commission works in?

Rural & Regional Affairs Committee
Budget Estimates for 2008-09 (Supplementary hearings)

Senator SIEWERT-Could you explain quickly how the natural resource management unit is operating?

Mr Thompson-The natural resource management unit within DAFF comprises a domestic fisheries and
aquaculture branch which reports to me, and through me and deputy secretaries through to Minister Burke. It also contains three other branches which, with branches from the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts, comprises Australian Government Land and Coasts, which is the joint team that administers Caring for our Country.

Legal & Constitutional Affairs Committee
Budget Estimates for 2008-09 (Supplementary hearings)

Senator SIEWERT-I want to ask about whales and about where we are up to with any international
action that Australia may or may not be considering. Could we have an update of where we are up to, please?

Mr Campbell-The government is still considering whether to commence legal proceedings.

Senator SIEWERT-It seems to have been considering it for quite a period of time. Is there a time frame for when you will finalise that?

Mr Campbell-I cannot give you a time frame for finalising it. But what I can say is that there has been a good deal of diplomatic activity in relation to the government's efforts to try to stop Japanese whaling in the Southern Ocean. Of course, we are not the primary department dealing with those diplomatic efforts, but they have been going on.

Standing Committee on Environment, Communications & the Arts

Senator SIEWERT-Okay. Could you tell me whether the federal government has a copy of the Gaffney and Cline report to the northern development task force?
Mr Burnett-I do not know the answer to that question, Senator.
Senator SIEWERT-Is it possible for someone to check for me, and if you have it can you table it?
Mr Burnett-I can take that on notice.
Senator IAN MACDONALD-How old is the task force?
Senator SIEWERT-It is very new.
Senator Wong-I think the question has been taken on notice. Sorry, is the question in relation to the northern Australia task force?
Senator SIEWERT-Sorry, not your Northern Australia task force; the Western Australian Northern Task Force. There are a number of Northern Australian task forces.
Senator Wong-It is a popular name.
Senator SIEWERT-Yes. It is not the water one. You know what I am talking about, though, do you not?

Standing Committee on Environment, Communications & the Arts

Senator SIEWERT-I am aware of the time so I may have to put quite a lot of questions on notice. I would like to pursue a bit further the issue that Senator Birmingham raised and that is around the $1 billion allocation to the fruit bowl project. I refer to the claims that were made that there was going to be, I think, 100 billion litres of water saved by that project. On what basis were those claims made? Who provided the figures for that? I think it was actually 200, of which the river would get 100.
Mr Borthwick-They were estimates put on the table by the Victorian government.
Senator SIEWERT-Did you do any assessment of those claims?
Mr Borthwick-No, we did not assess those claims but we wanted to make sure, through the due diligence process, that they could be verified.
Senator Wong-I would refer you on this, Senator, to paragraph 22 of the MOU.
Senator SIEWERT-Is this the one about due diligence?
Senator Wong-Correct.

Standing Committee on Environment, Communications & the Arts

Senator SIEWERT-Sharks! Should I be asking you?
Senator ABETZ-I hope that was not directed to the minister. That is very unkind.
Senator SIEWERT-I mean that in the purest sense. I am obviously referring to the issue around the shark fishery in Queensland, but I am after some general information first. What is the current status-and you do not need to go into exact detail-of the shark populations around the world? My understanding is that they are increasingly becoming more vulnerable and that there has been a significant decline in shark numbers. Are you able to provide a little more detail?
Ms Petrachenko-Yes. I think a number of reviews and studies have shown severe concern over the status of shark populations worldwide. There are a number of sharks, as you know, already listed on CITES, and there is growing concern because of things like the illegal fishing relating to shark finning that is happening worldwide. Yes, there is concern.

Standing Committee on Environment, Communications & the Arts

Senator SIEWERT-I cannot remember the exact place that we left last night, but I do recall that we were talking about the investment framework. I am interested to know whether the investment framework will be applied at the regional level as well. Are you going to be asking the regional groups to apply the concept of an investment framework, or is it just at the national level that that is going to be applied?
Ms Rankin-At the moment we are just talking about the investment framework being something that we require at the national level. We have not considered specifying that that has to be undertaken at the regional level, although we are aware that a number of regions are moving down that track of pursuing their own investment framework development because they are finding it quite a useful way for prioritising their own funding.